Rail bond and method of making same



July 23, 1935. H. H. FEBREY 2,003,786

RAIL BOND AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Sept. 9, 1926 igll.

ll Za'nesses: 17611873507:

2am? y', #49040 Fi /9 Patented July 23, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEHarold H. Febrey, Newark, N. J., assignor to The American Steel and WireCompany of New Jersey, a corporation oi. New Jersey ApplicationSeptember 9, 1926, Serial No. 134,454

'7 Claim.

This invention relates to rail bonds, and while not limited thereto,relates more particularly to rail bonds of the pin or stud terminal typeand has for its object the provision of an improved bond and method ofproducing the same.

Heretofore in making pin or stud terminal bonds, it has been the generalpractice to drill the terminals and then to insert the flexibleconcluctor in the openings thus formed and secure them in position.

The drilling of the terminals was an expensive operation, and theseparate operations necessary to secure the conductor to the terminalwere all more or less expensive. Therefore, the cost of producing thisclass of bonds has been very high.

The present invention provides for securing the conductor and terminalstogether by a simple butt welding operation, and, therefore, materiallyreduces the cost of production of the bonds and provides a more securejoint having a higher electrical bond than the joints heretofore formed.

Figure l is an elevation of a bond showing the parts in assembledposition, but unwelded.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the finished bond after the terminals arewelded to the conductor.

Figure 3 is an elevation of one end of a modified bond showing theterminal and conductor in assembled position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the parts weldedtogether.

Figure 5 is an elevation of a bond having two conductors.

Figure 6 is a similar view of a bond having two conductors andsleeves onthe ends of the conductors.

Referring more particularly to the drawing,

the numeral 2 designates the stranded flexible conductor, which may becomposed of any suitable metal or combination of metals, such as a 40copper core and ferrous metal outer wires, all copper or all ferrousmetal, or copper or steel clad Wires. The conductor 2 is provided with aferrule or sleeve 3 at each end to bind the strands together. Theferrules 3 may be composed of either ferrous or cuprous metal. The pinterminals 4, which may be composed of ferrous or cuprous metal, are ofone piece construction and are preferably formed by forging ormachining, although any other method of forming may be used.

The conductor 2 is secured or joined to the terminals 4 by butt weldingas at 5, thus forming a secure joint having a more efficient electricalbond than the joints formed in the prior art.

I have discovered that when a stranded conductor made of a cuprous metalcore and ferrous outer strands, or made of copper clad steel wires, orof other combinations of cuprous and ferrous metals, is used the weldsat 5 between the terminals 4 and ends of the conductor 2 are of a muchbetter quality, and a material reduction in imperfect welds is had inthe manufacture. Experience has shown that by the use of a conductorcomposed of a combination of cuprous and ferrous metals, the number ofimperfect welds obtained is reduced approximately onehalf in singleconductor bonds, and from as high as fifty per cent. of the totalproduction to less than ten per cent. of the total production in doubleconductor bonds.

In carrying out my method, the terminals 4 are formed in any desiredmanner, such as by forging, the conductors 2 are cut to length, and whenused the ferrules or sleeves 3 are secured on the ends of theconductors. The butt ends of the conductor 2 and sleeves 3, and theportion of the terminals to which the conductor 3 is to be secured arethen heated to a welding temperature by passing an electric current atlow pressure through the parts, or by passing an electric currentthrough the parts while they are in light contact and then separatingthe parts to form an arc. After the parts are heated to a fusingtemperature the conductor and terminals are forced together, forming abutt weld connection which is permanent.

Instead of first heating and then pressing the parts together to form abutt weld as described above, the parts may be pressed together withconsiderable pressure and while under such heavy pressure an extremelyheavy current is passed through the parts for an instant. In such casethe current will heat the abutting faces of the parts and the pressureapplied to the parts will cause the metal to be taken up in the instantthat the parts are heated so as to form a butt weld.

The labor and time consumed in making a bond by my improved method ismuch less than by the methods heretofore practiced, and, therefore, thecost of manufacturing the bond is reduced, and at the same time asuperior bond is produced.

In Figures 3 and 4 I have shown one end of a bond, in which the ferruleor sleeve 3 is omitted, the bonds without the sleeves being thepreferred construction. The method of manufacturing the bond shown inFigures 3 and 4 is the same as that described for the manufacture of thebond of Figures 1 and 2, with the exception that the step of securingthe ferrules or sleeves 3 is omitted.

In Figures 5 and 6 I have shown a double or duplex conductor bondcomposed of two parallel conductors 2 which have their ends butt weldedas at 5 to the solid terminals 4 as in the previous constructiondescribed.

The bond of Figure 6 differs from that of Figure 5 in that theconductors 2 are provided with sleeves 3 similar to the conductors ofFigures 1 and 2.

The bonds of Figures 5 and 6 are made according to the method describedabove, except that the two conductors 2 are preferably simultaneouslywelded to the terminals 4.

In manufacturing bonds of Figures 5 and 6 when all ferrous metalconductors are used, the imperfect welds 5 run as high as fifty percent. of the total production, while when conductors composed of acombination of cuprous and ferrous metals are used the imperfect weldsare reduced to less than ten per cent. of the total production.

When a cuprous metal or combination cuprous and ferrous metal conductoris used, the electric current used to heat the parts to be welded ismore readily conducted through the conductor and is more evenlydistributed so that the end of the conductor is evenly heated throughoutand a more perfect weld is made.

While I have shown certain specific embodiments of my invention, it willbe understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since variousmodifications may be made without departing from the scope of myinvention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: g

1. In a rail bond comprising a pair of terminals and at least oneflexible stranded conductor united thereto, the method of manufacturingthe same which comprises applying the butt end of the stranded conductorto a face of said terminal and uniting the said butt end thereto byelectric resistance welding, the said welding process providing for thepressure consolidation of the abutting faces while the metal comprisingsaid'faces is heated at least to a plastic temperature.

2. In a rail bond comprising a pair of terminals and at least oneflexible stranded conductor united thereto, the method of manufacturingthe same which comprises applying the butt end minals and at least oneflexible stranded conductor united thereto, the method of manufacturingthe same which comprises securing a sleeve member upon the strandedcable end with the butt ends of each in substantial cross-sectionalalignment, applying the said butt ends to a face of said terminal anduniting the same thereto by electric resistance welding, the saidwelding process providing for the pressure consolidation of the abuttingsurfaces while the metal comprising said faces is heated at least to aplastic temperature.

4. In a rail bond comprising a pair of terminals and at least oneflexible stranded con ductor united thereto, the method of manufacturingthe same which comprises preforming the said terminals to the desiredsize, shape and configuration, securing a sleeve member upon thestranded cable end with the butt ends of each in substantialcross-sectional alignment, applying the said butt ends to a face of saidterminal and uniting the same thereto by electric resistance welding,the said welding process providing for the pressure consolidation of theabutting surfaces while the metal comprising said surfaces is heated atleast to a plastic temperature.

5. A rail bond comprising terminals adapted to be aflixed to a rail andat least one inter-- connecting stranded conductor united thereto, thebutt ends of said conductor being pressure welded to said terminals.

6. A rail bond comprising terminals adapted to be affixed to a rail andat least one interconnecting stranded conductor united thereto, thebuttends of each strand comprising said conductor being pressure welded tosaid terminals.

7. A rail bond comprising terminals adapted to be affixed to a rail faceand at least one interconnecting stranded conductor united thereto, theends of said conductor being enclosed in a sleeve member, the butt endsof said conductor and enclosing sleeve member being pressure welded tosaid terminals.

HAROLD H. FEBREY.

